Movie Review: 'Ruby'

Ruby

Theatrically released on the coattails of JFK, this fictionalized portrait of Lee Harvey Oswald’s killer didn’t cause much of a stir: Instead of basking in Oliver Stone’s media glare, Ruby disappeared. Still, it’s well worth a rental, especially for the performances of its two stars. Danny Aiello is almost too potent as the weasely Jack Ruby, a strip-joint owner and minor mob figure who becomes an unwitting accessory to the assassination plot. Sherilyn Fenn, however, nearly steals the spotlight as stripper Candy Cane, a fictitious entity obviously inspired by Marilyn Monroe. The movie’s Mafia-CIA conspiracy theory never gets developed enough to be truly provocative, but with Aiello and Fenn providing surprising chemistry, Ruby remains compelling even when it isn’t entirely convincing.